Turbine engines, such as those used on commercial aircraft, often utilize multiple engine components that are connected together. Within the turbine engines, it is desirable to seal gaps between two components of the turbine engine in order to prevent an engine fire from spreading to another part of the turbine engine, should an engine fire occur. This seal is accomplished using an engine firewall and a fire seal.
A typical firewall and fire seal arrangement seals a gap between two parts of a turbine engine and maintains a fireproof seal and an air pressure seal between the two parts for all operating conditions (including during an engine fire.) This fireproof capability is validated during fire tests that expose the seal to upwards of 2000 F for a predetermined period of time.
Existing fire seal designs utilize a tubular body constructed of silicone, or a similar material, connected to a base. At high temperatures the body produces volatile gasses in a process referred to as “outgassing”. In order to reduce the chances of a fire spreading from an engine side of the fire seal to the opposite side of the fire seal as a result of the outgassed gasses, the amount of volatile gasses outgassed to the opposite side is minimized.